Toothpick holder with floral scrolls in fencai polychrome enamels, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

Toothpick holder with floral scrolls in fencai polychrome enamels, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

• Image Number: C1B004300N000000000PAB
• Dynasty: Qing dynasty
• Category: Ceramics
• Function: Miscellaneous apparatus
• Material: Minerals/Ceramics/
• Description:
  Porcelain toothpick cylinder, which is oblate and hollow, is used to hold toothpicks. The outer wall is painted with enamel. One end can be opened as the cover of the device, and the threading rope on the cover can go through the bottom of the device to form the silk spike. A porcelain bead is attached at both ends, and the opening and closing of the cover can be adjusted by moving the porcelain bead up and down. The appearance of the whole device imitates the neatly wrapped picture scroll, so the center of the outer wall of the device is painted with gold thread winding and ivory white clip, and the two ends of the device have a circle of pink curling grass to show the edge of the hand scroll. In addition, the outer wall is decorated with shallow green tangled lotus, which looks like a gorgeous scroll wrapped around the head. On the upper left, there is a rectangular gold framed title, which is used to write black four seal characters of “eternal life”, or to make this device for birthday celebration.